Can't afford $300 cycling shoes, what is the alternative?

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Date: 17 Oct 2006 15:25:42
From:
Subject: Can't afford $300 cycling shoes, what is the alternative?

Hello-

I recently started cycling on a regular basis (hybrid bike). I'm using
my old sneakers for now. It appears that 'decent' cycling shoes start
around $300 and that is a bit too much for me.

Can somebody please tell me what are my alternatives? is there any
special sneaker that would be better?

Will really appreciate it.
Thanks.

Date: 19 Oct 2006 07:02:20
From: marian.rosenberg@gmail.com
Subject: Re: Can't afford $300 cycling shoes, what is the alternative?

Werehatrack wrote:

> http://www.pegasuspublishing.com/xcart/product.php?productid=26563
>
> However, I will assume for the sake of discussion that such footwear
> would be readily recognized as unsuitable by at least a preponderance
> of the readers here.

<blank look > Why ever so? I think they'd be perfect.

I'd look cool (for certain values of cool), be comfortable, and get to
offend the fashion conscious roadies all at the same time!

-M

Date: 19 Oct 2006 06:54:21
From: Ryan Cousineau
Subject: Re: Can't afford $300 cycling shoes, what is the alternative?

In article <1161123939.460099.203900@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com >,
km8080@gmail.com wrote:

> Hello-
>
> I recently started cycling on a regular basis (hybrid bike). I'm using
> my old sneakers for now. It appears that 'decent' cycling shoes start
> around $300 and that is a bit too much for me.
>
> Can somebody please tell me what are my alternatives? is there any
> special sneaker that would be better?
>
> Will really appreciate it.
> Thanks.

I have won races in $20 bike shoes (it was an especially good sale
price...). I doubt anyone in my club has $300 shoes.

If you were really cheap and shopping at Nashbar, I'd propose almost any
shoe on this page:

http://www.nashbar.com/results.cfm?category=84&subcategory=1041&storetype
=&estoreid=&init=y&pagename=Category%3A%20Shoes

Some will have relatively soft soles, and thus be suitable for use as a
nearly-normal shoe for walking around. The racier looking ones will have
very stiff soles, which is good for racing.

The very very expensive ones may have carbon fibre soles, which you are
allowed to buy once your body fat % goes below 10.

--
Ryan Cousineau rcousine@sfu.ca http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos

Date: 18 Oct 2006 22:22:38
From: km
Subject: Re: Can't afford $300 cycling shoes, what is the alternative?

Right, need a 'real' bike.
:-)

On Oct 18, 6:13 pm, "Ken C. M." <k...@up-yours-spammer.net > wrote:
> km8...@gmail.com wrote:
> > I have a $200 bike from walt, so you are right about saving money
> > about upgrading the bike first.Well made you misunderstood me. I don't really suggest doing to much
> upgrading to a $200 Wal-t bike. It's really not very cost effective.
> What I meant by bicycle upgrade was a completely different (better
> quality) bike like something from a local bicycle shop.
>
> Ken
> --
> The bicycle is just as good company as most husbands and, when it gets
> old and shabby, a woman can dispose of it and get a new one without
> shocking the entire community. ~Ann Strong

Date: 18 Oct 2006 22:11:03
From: Johnboy
Subject: Re: Can't afford $300 cycling shoes, what is the alternative?

I'm just back into cycling myself and recently went through this same
endeavor. When I bought my bike, I knew that eventually I'd want some
true cycling shoes and clipless pedals. So I had the shop install
Shimano PD-M324 pedals on my bike. Yes, it's a road bike and these are
technically MTB pedals, but they offer one side that has the Shimano
SPD cleat and the other side is like a normal pedal. So while you're
getting back into the bike, you can ride in whatever shoes you have on,
then when you're ready, you can buy the shoes to clip in with.

Link to PD-M324 pedals at Performance Bike ($74.99):
http://tinyurl.com/yy5zof

While I was waiting for my bike to be ready, I stopped at the local REI
and just so happened they had a sale on cycling shoes and I picked up a
pair of Shimano SH-MT40 shoes. Yes, again more MTB shoes, but they
looked more comfy like sneakers to me and they had the SPD cleat, so I
bought them. They are very comfortable and the cleat is somewhat
recessed so they're easy to walk around in. I think I paid about $85
for the shoes.

Link to SH-MT40 Shoes on Shimano's web site:
http://tinyurl.com/y6u7f5

So all tolled for about 1/2 of your $300 estimate, I got pedals and
shoes and I really like both of them. Enjoy! Hope this helps!

John

> I recently started cycling on a regular basis (hybrid bike). I'm using
> my old sneakers for now. It appears that 'decent' cycling shoes start
> around $300 and that is a bit too much for me.
>
> Can somebody please tell me what are my alternatives? is there any
> special sneaker that would be better?
>
> Will really appreciate it.
> Thanks.

Date: 18 Oct 2006 11:39:17
From:
Subject: Re: Can't afford $300 cycling shoes, what is the alternative?

I have a $200 bike from walt, so you are right about saving money
about upgrading the bike first.

On Oct 18, 8:50 am, "Ken C. M." <k...@up-yours-spammer.net > wrote:
> km8...@gmail.com wrote:
> > Hello-
>
> > I recently started cycling on a regular basis (hybrid bike). I'm using
> > my old sneakers for now. It appears that 'decent' cycling shoes start
> > around $300 and that is a bit too much for me.
>
> > Can somebody please tell me what are my alternatives? is there any
> > special sneaker that would be better?
>
> > Will really appreciate it.
> > Thanks.There are plenty of shoes out there for way less than $300 I bought my
> first shoes on sale at nashbar for about $40 and got a set of pedals for
> somewhere right around that price too. Pedals with cleats and shoes for
> under $100. And they are fine for recreational riding. You could spend
> more but you probably wouldn't notice much difference in the shoe for
> the extra money. My advise go ahead and get yourself some shoes and
> pedals but don't go overboard on the price, and save your money for the
> eventual upgraded bike that you will probably want as you progress in
> your cycling performance.
>
> Ken
> --
> The bicycle is just as good company as most husbands and, when it gets
> old and shabby, a woman can dispose of it and get a new one without
> shocking the entire community. ~Ann Strong

Date: 18 Oct 2006 18:13:31
From: Ken C. M.
Subject: Re: Can't afford $300 cycling shoes, what is the alternative?

km8080@gmail.com wrote:
> I have a $200 bike from walt, so you are right about saving money
> about upgrading the bike first.
>

Well made you misunderstood me. I don't really suggest doing to much
upgrading to a $200 Wal-t bike. It's really not very cost effective.
What I meant by bicycle upgrade was a completely different (better
quality) bike like something from a local bicycle shop.

Ken
--
The bicycle is just as good company as most husbands and, when it gets
old and shabby, a woman can dispose of it and get a new one without
shocking the entire community. ~Ann Strong

Date: 18 Oct 2006 09:02:08
From:
Subject: Re: Can't afford $300 cycling shoes, what is the alternative?

Date: 18 Oct 2006 08:50:39
From: Ken C. M.
Subject: Re: Can't afford $300 cycling shoes, what is the alternative?

km8080@gmail.com wrote:
> Hello-
>
> I recently started cycling on a regular basis (hybrid bike). I'm using
> my old sneakers for now. It appears that 'decent' cycling shoes start
> around $300 and that is a bit too much for me.
>
> Can somebody please tell me what are my alternatives? is there any
> special sneaker that would be better?
>
> Will really appreciate it.
> Thanks.
>

There are plenty of shoes out there for way less than $300 I bought my
first shoes on sale at nashbar for about $40 and got a set of pedals for
somewhere right around that price too. Pedals with cleats and shoes for
under $100. And they are fine for recreational riding. You could spend
more but you probably wouldn't notice much difference in the shoe for
the extra money. My advise go ahead and get yourself some shoes and
pedals but don't go overboard on the price, and save your money for the
eventual upgraded bike that you will probably want as you progress in
your cycling performance.

Ken
--
The bicycle is just as good company as most husbands and, when it gets
old and shabby, a woman can dispose of it and get a new one without
shocking the entire community. ~Ann Strong

Date: 18 Oct 2006 00:25:02
From:
Subject: Re: Can't afford $300 cycling shoes, what is the alternative?

Thank you all.

I was hoping some sneaker would be good enough, but I did find cycling
shoes for > $75, was definitely looking at wrong places (nike.com for
one).

Thanks again.

On Oct 17, 9:52 pm, agonzz...@yahoo.com wrote:
> Bill Sornson wrote:
> > Try bowling.
>
> > Bill "instead of trolling" S.I agree with Mr. Bill (for once). This guy's a troll.
>
> Art

Date: 17 Oct 2006 18:52:47
From:
Subject: Re: Can't afford $300 cycling shoes, what is the alternative?

Bill Sornson wrote:

> Try bowling.
>
> Bill "instead of trolling" S.

I agree with Mr. Bill (for once). This guy's a troll.

Art

Date: 18 Oct 2006 01:44:33
From: Kevin
Subject: Re: Can't afford $300 cycling shoes, what is the alternative?

<km8080@gmail.com > wrote in message
news:1161123939.460099.203900@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Hello-
>
> I recently started cycling on a regular basis (hybrid bike). I'm using
> my old sneakers for now. It appears that 'decent' cycling shoes start
> around $300 and that is a bit too much for me.
>
> Can somebody please tell me what are my alternatives? is there any
> special sneaker that would be better?
>
> Will really appreciate it.
> Thanks.
>
You REALLY need to look around!!! I have a pair of Shimano touring shoes
with SPD clips that I've been using for over a year and a half that only ran
me around $90 w/ the clips. I teach spinning classes and use them a couple
of times a week for that and then on my road bike for the longer weekend
rides. It's great to not have to worry about carrying covers for the clips
due to the clips being recessed. Sure, being a touring shoe, they are not
the very lightest, but that doesn't matter for my uses.

Look around. You'll find them for under $100, especially if there is an
"off" season where you are located!

Kevin

Date: 18 Oct 2006 01:07:07
From: Werehatrack
Subject: Re: Can't afford $300 cycling shoes, what is the alternative?

On 17 Oct 2006 15:25:42 -0700, km8080@gmail.com wrote:

>Hello-
>
>I recently started cycling on a regular basis (hybrid bike). I'm using
>my old sneakers for now. It appears that 'decent' cycling shoes start
>around $300 and that is a bit too much for me.

Huh? Look at the current sales at Nashbar. You can get decent shoes
with cleats and pedals for lss than a third of that.

You're shopping in the wrong places.

>Can somebody please tell me what are my alternatives?

Use regular shoes and don't worry about it. Cleats are far from
necessary for non-competitive riding. I use them on one of my bikes,
but *just* one. I ride all of the others with just regular shoes; in
fact, with whatever shoes I happen to have on.

>is there any
>special sneaker that would be better?

If the shoe fits, and seems reasonably appropriate[1], wear it.

[1] Okay, I'll admit that I have shoes that would not be suitable to
wear while riding a bike. Some shoes are obviously poor choices, such
as:

http://www.pegasuspublishing.com/xcart/product.php?productid=26563

However, I will assume for the sake of discussion that such footwear
would be readily recognized as unsuitable by at least a preponderance
of the readers here.
--
Typoes are a feature, not a bug.
Some gardening required to reply via email.
Words processed in a facility that contains nuts.

Date: 17 Oct 2006 18:05:29
From: David L. Johnson
Subject: Re: Can't afford $300 cycling shoes, what is the alternative?

On Tue, 17 Oct 2006 15:25:42 -0700, km8080 wrote:

> Hello-
>
> I recently started cycling on a regular basis (hybrid bike). I'm using
> my old sneakers for now. It appears that 'decent' cycling shoes start
> around $300 and that is a bit too much for me.

That's BS. Decent cycling shoes can be had for $45.

--

David L. Johnson

__o

Date: 17 Oct 2006 22:43:12
From: sally
Subject: Re: Can't afford $300 cycling shoes, what is the alternative?

In article <1161123939.460099.203900@i42g2000cwa.googlegroups.com >,
<km8080@gmail.com > wrote:
>I recently started cycling on a regular basis (hybrid bike). I'm using
>my old sneakers for now. It appears that 'decent' cycling shoes start
>around $300 and that is a bit too much for me.

Is that Canadian dollars or something? At my local bike shop, only
the fanciest racing shoes cost that much. There are pleanty of decent
recreational shoes selling for under $100. Shimano and Pearl Izumi
brand shoes give you some good value for your money.

Date: 17 Oct 2006 22:42:32
From: Bill Sornson
Subject: Re: Can't afford $300 cycling shoes, what is the alternative?

Date: 17 Oct 2006 15:34:11
From: gds
Subject: Re: Can't afford $300 cycling shoes, what is the alternative?

km8...@gmail.com wrote:
> Hello-
>
> I recently started cycling on a regular basis (hybrid bike). I'm using
> my old sneakers for now. It appears that 'decent' cycling shoes start
> around $300 and that is a bit too much for me.
>
> Can somebody please tell me what are my alternatives? is there any
> special sneaker that would be better?
>
> Will really appreciate it.
> Thanks.

$300 is a pretty upper end shoe. Lots of shoes that are very, very
good for a fraction of that price. Now is the time to think about what
type of pedals you want. If you are riding in sneakers you have not yet
discovered clipless and that is a major upgrade in performance and will
to some extent co vary with your choice of shoe. But you can get
servicable new pedals ad new shoes for less than $300.